This invention relates to secure electronic commerce distribution and sales having the ability to offer software enhancements and new features in a simpler, faster, and cheaper method than previously available. Secure electronic commerce brings together three important functions: reprogrammable software or other content (generically referred to also as xe2x80x9cproductxe2x80x9d, which includes services); wireless data service; and security (encryption and authentication).
Secure electronic commerce offers a way for customers to add or change features in their phone using the convenience of the wireless data service already available in the phone. Moreover, the customer can achieve these goals within minutes and in the comfort of the customer""s home or business.
Secure electronic commerce offers many advantages, among them: greater ease of distribution, sale and revenue collection for software-only features; flexible and upgradeable phone platformxe2x80x94this reduces obsolescence; ability to thwart theft of services and cloning; reduced warranty costs in case of software patch updates; and convenience of wireless reprogramming.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of conducting transactions in a wireless electronic commerce system, where the system comprises a wireless network operator certification authority having a root public key certificate and at least one attribute authority having a digital certificate that is dependent from the root public key certificate, where the attribute authority is accessible by a wireless client device via a wireless network. The digital certificate is delivered from the attribute authority to the wireless device, the attribute authority is verified to the wireless client device using the digital certificate and the root public key certificate pre-loaded in the wireless client device under authority of the wireless network operator. An attribute (software, service, right/permission or other content item) is delivered to the wireless client device over the wireless network and ultimately enabled at the wireless client device.
Payment for the attribute may be transacted by delivering a second digital certificate from the wireless client device to the attribute authority and verifying the second digital certificate using the root public key certificate from the certification authority.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of conducting transactions in a wireless electronic commerce system that includes establishing a wireless communication between the wireless client device and a first attribute authority; delivering a first attribute to the wireless client device over the wireless network; generating an electronic voucher verifiable by a second attribute authority; establishing a wireless communication between the wireless client device and the second attribute authority; requesting a second attribute from the second attribute authority; identifying the electronic voucher at the second attribute authority; and delivering the second attribute from the second attribute authority to the wireless device.
The electronic voucher may be delivered from the first attribute authority to the second attribute authority via a connection therebetween or may include delivering the electronic voucher from the first attribute authority to the second attribute authority via the wireless client.
Also described is a wireless electronic commerce system.